Author's Note: Here we are! The last chapter! Thank *you* for reading and to mcal and CourtingInsanity for their alpha/beta help. And without further ado, let's begin.
The first splattering of stars was already stretched across the darkening sky when Draco crept through the shadows to the other side of town. Even after the resolution of the town's suspicions earlier that day, it remained better that no one spotted Draco interacting with Hermione until the whole witch-hunt commotion was a distant memory. And he would take every precaution to make sure they didn't get caught in another fiasco like that ever again.
He checked over his shoulder to ensure that no one was in sight before taking the final steps to Hermione's front door and gently tapping the wooden surface. Hermione flung the door open, but she stared straight past him.
"Draco?" she said in the faintest of whispers.
"It's me."
Hermione startled when his response came from directly in front of her. Wise enough not to pause and ask any questions, she reached forward and had the good luck of grabbing enough of a hold on his waistcoat to tug him inside.
Now in the safety of Hermione's house, Draco removed the charm he had cast over his body to render himself essentially invisible. And though he doubted she'd ever admit it, Draco could tell by the way her eyes lit up in fascination how impressed she was by the spell.
Instead, she turned from him and peeled back the lower edge of the front window curtains, revealing the slightest sliver of moonlight. "You sure no one saw you?"
Draco grinned with amusement. "Even you didn't see me, and you knew I was coming."
The fabric fell back into place. "Yes, but I don't know how long that fancy spell of yours lasts, so I thought I ought to ask."
"I can assure you that it lasts ample time for me to get from one end of town to the other, although I did stay in the shadows just to be safe. So are you satisfied, or are you going to continue to question my magical abilities before I even start your first lesson?"
Hermione paused, seeming to consider her options before she settled onto one of her chairs with a surrendering huff. "Fine. But I want to learn that spell first."
Draco took the chair next to her and chuckled. "You're free to try all night long, but I must inform you that this is one of the more complicated spells. Involves quite a great degree of concentration and talent in order to make items seem to disappear. You'll soon come to learn that there's much more behind performing magic than mere wand waving."
"And just where exactly did you learn all this? Your parents, too?" Hermione demanded. "It's not like there's a magic school or something."
Draco grinned. "I had a feeling you were going to ask that."
He reached into his pocket and retrieved his wand and three other objects that were presently no larger than a button. With a full rotation of his wrist and a firm tap on their surface, the objects stretched and thickened before Hermione's captivated eyes until they returned to their full-sized state.
Hermione wasted no time picking up the top book and reading from the first page.
"These books have been passed down the Malfoy family line for generations," he said, though he doubted Hermione was paying him much attention anymore. She was much too enthralled by the hundreds of pages of age-old wisdom. If Draco left now, he doubted Hermione would notice before daybreak.
Not that he could blame her. Her entire life, she had been isolated from all things magic, alone in her fear that an untimely outburst of her abilities would be the cause of her inevitable demise. But not anymore. Today was just the start of her magical training, even if it was seven years late.
After several minutes, Hermione finally peered up from the books. "Thank you."
The soft sincerity of her voice prompted an unfamiliar warmth to spread inside Draco's chest. "You're welcome. Although, I've hardly done more than provide you with books so far."
Hermione gently closed the volume and rested it in her lap. "Not just for the books. For everything else you did for me the past day and a half." She tucked a loose curl behind her ear, mild hesitation seeming to wash over her. "I know I haven't been the most gracious of your assistance, but you must understand that I am still just beginning to grasp this idea of no longer being alone. I'm not accustomed to letting other people in like this." Hermione lowered her head and gently shook it back and forth. "For so long, I've shut myself off from anyone who it wasn't vital that I interact with who wasn't one of my parents, Ron, or Harry - when they were all still here, of course."
"Such as myself?"
"Precisely." She drew in a deep breath as she peered down at her lap. "I did whatever was necessary to keep not only myself safe, but my parents as well, in fear of what the town would think of them for bearing a witch of a daughter. And as I've already told you, you were by far the person I feared the most."
Draco couldn't hold back the mild snicker at the irony of that thought. "Ah, yes. All fear the Malicious Mister Malfoy."
He relished in the sound of her resulting giggle that dissipated her lingering anxiousness. "In my defence, there were several instances in which you weren't exactly the most pleasant boy to be around."
"I was eleven!" Draco cried. "All eleven year old boys are absolute terrors!"
Hermione's laughter once more filled the candle-lit space. "That I cannot deny! It certainly took some time for me to become friends with Harry and Ron, but I learned to tolerate them."
"And what about me?" Draco asked, seeing an opportunity to pose the question that had been weighing on him since she had nearly walked away without a word earlier that afternoon. "Do you think you've come to tolerate me as well?"
"Perhaps." She grazed her bottom lip with the edges of her teeth. "Although, I believe it's more than just a matter of tolerance. Since you previously admitted that you've been so, quote, intrigued, by me all these years, I feel it's only fair that I share with you that, even while I avoided you, there's always been a piece of me that was curious what could develop between us if I wasn't so scared of you confirming my abilities."
Draco quirked an eyebrow, a pleased grin stretching across his lips. "Oh? Is that so?"
A subtle shade of pink highlighted her cheeks. "You told me the other day that I'm far more intelligent than ninety per cent of the men in this town, but there has always been only one man who I thought could truly match me."
A symphony erupted inside his chest. Trumpets. Violins. Basses. They all chimed together in melodic harmony.
Before the moment faded, Draco stood up and offered Hermione his hand. "Enough sitting around," he said, no more traces of doubt or concern daring to infiltrate his mind. "It's time you learn to cast your first spell."
She placed her hand in his, and even just the slightest feel of her welcome touch prompted his heart to falter. Not letting this distract him, Draco retrieved the second wand he had brought with him in anticipation.
"This was my grandfather Abraxas'," he said, extending it out for Hermione to take. "It should serve our purposes well enough before we go to London where we can get you a proper wand of your own."
Hermione lifted a questioning eyebrow before reverting her attention to the wand, a subtle smile on her lips. "Pretty presumptuous of you to assume that you'll be accompanying me to London, don't you think?"
"Perhaps," he taunted, savouring the way Hermione eyed him with contented amusement. "Although, I am curious how you intend to find the wand shoppe without my guidance."
Hermione snorted. "Fine. In that case, I shall permit your company." She gripped the base of the wand and began to swish it around. "Now how do I-"
"Stop, stop, stop!" Draco commanded. He grabbed hold of her hand to cease her movements. "We don't need you casting any more accidental spells!" He sidled closer to her. "Here. Let me help you."
His hand wrapped around hers as he flushed his chest against Hermione's back, becoming all the more aware of the slenderness of her frame compared to his. The wild wisps of her hair tickled against his chin as they shifted under his heavy breaths.
"It's better if you hold it like this," he said, adjusting her grip so it wasn't clamped as tight. "You want it to be an extension of your body, allowing your magic to properly channel through its core."
At such close proximity to her, Draco could feel his heartbeat start to quicken. It reminded him far too much of the night prior when they had been in the church's crypt, Hermione demanding that he search her for a witches' mark. His breathing grew shallower as he remembered the warmth of her flawless skin beneath his furtive touch, longing to freely explore the planes of her bare body.
And for the first time in several years, Draco sincerely prayed. He prayed that his heart didn't hammer too hard and reveal his lustful desires. That, and no other organ of his body either.
He tried to redirect his attention to teaching Hermione and guiding her through the motions. "You just need to concentrate on an object in front of you, okay? Focus on it real intently. Got it? And now we're just going to swish your hand across like this, and flick."
On a nearby bookshelf, a tiny vase began to rattle before it was pulled into the air. Draco took a step back as Hermione kept the tip of her wand directed at the object, the brightest smile he'd ever seen plastered across her features.
"That's it! Now maintain your focus on it as you slowly lower your wand and gently guide the vase onto the table here."
Hermione did as instructed, and a few moments later, the vase landed safely next to them.
Pride radiated from her as she looked down at her trembling hands. "Is it normal to feel it pulsing in your fingertips?"
Draco smiled. "Normal at the beginning, I'd say, but after a few weeks, it'll go away."
She continued to peer at her hands in amazement. "I like it. It makes me feel in control of my powers."
"That's because you are. Didn't you see that spellwork? Quite impressive for a first timer." He took a step closer and brushed back a loose curl, his voice growing softer. "See? You're a natural."
Hermione gnawed her lower lip, the warmth of her chocolate irises staring deep into his. "Or perhaps I just have a good teacher."
"Or perhaps you and I are just a good match."
Unable to resist her for one more second, Draco sealed what little distance remained between them and pressed their lips together. His eyes instantly fell shut as he savoured the contrast of the gentle softness of her lips against his firm, ardent kiss.
It was better than he could have ever imagined: her fingers threading through his hair, her tug on his waistcoat to deepen the kiss, her curves pressed against his chest. His brain struggled to keep up with the influx of fervour that coursed through him, and yet, Draco refused to stop. This was exactly what he wanted.
He slid his tongue along the seam of her lips and with a gentle pull of her bottom lip, Hermione sucked in a sharp intake of breath. When their lips reconnected, their tongues met, and Draco swore he'd never been a happier man.
He began to kiss the side of her mouth, his lips slowly travelling down her jaw towards her neck, relishing every inch of her skin that he could. She was absolutely divine. He found the sensitive skin just above her collarbone and began to suck, sparking a whimper out of her as he dug his fingers into the fabric of her dress.
"Draco," she mewled, and the rasp of her voice sent a pulsing heat to his core, inciting his instant need to capture her again in another searing kiss.
His fingers had just settled at the base of her curls, determined to keep her locked in place, when Hermione pulled herself away. Draco blinked, not ready for it to be over just yet. There was still so much of her he yearned to explore.
But he supposed that would have to wait for another night. After all, between having spent the previous night sleeping in the crypt and the mental exhaustion of the trial, she was likely tired and wanted nothing more than to go to bed.
Draco straightened himself out, preparing to say his goodbye, when he noticed Hermione once more starting to undo the ties of her bodice.
A grin that the devil himself would have been proud of stretched across her lips. "You never did get to finish your inspection, Mr Malfoy."
Draco had to stabilise himself on the bookshelf to prevent his knees from giving out from the playful glint that now sparkled in her eyes. The heat that had penetrated his core now spread throughout the rest of his body as a coil of anticipation made its home at the base of Draco's gut.
At a torturous pace, Hermione undid the ribbon that looped through the holes, Draco keenly observing every nimble movement of her fingers. The night prior, he had felt compelled to look away, to not let his eyes linger when she wasn't doing so entirely under willful circumstances, but tonight, that was no longer the case.
When the bodice gave way, Draco had no trouble re-finding his footing, not in the mood to waste any more time before he could finally get his hands on her. Bodice laying forgotten on the floor, their lips came crashing together as Hermione's fingers frantically redirected their attention to the buttons of Draco's waistcoat until he too was freed from the outermost layer of his fabric prison.
Slowing down their fervent kiss, Hermione caught his bottom lip between her teeth and drew it back tantalisingly slow before releasing it. Her gaze danced with the excitement of what they both knew would happen next. She intertwined their fingers and led him into her bedroom.
Once inside, they rushed to divest each other of the remaining clothes. Shift, linen shirt, and stockings were haphazardly scattered as they went. Draco pulled Hermione in for another firm kiss before pushing her back against the bed, allowing her ringlets of curls to splay behind her. He stared down at her, soaking in the sight.
"You're absolutely gorgeous, Hermione," he said, doubtful he had ever been more certain of a thought in his life.
One hand rested beside her, the other burying itself in her locks, Draco absorbed himself in her ready gaze for a few more lingering seconds before diving in for a deep, passionate, reassuring kiss. A promise that things would be better now. That whatever future troubles would come her way, they would now face together.
Today was a new beginning for them both.
He grazed his fingers along her slit, and after a delicate nod confirming her assent, he slipped them inside. Her eyelids fluttered shut, and a soft gasp escaped the lips of the perfect witch laid beneath him. A smile tugged at his lips as he leaned in for another kiss.
The silken touch of her fingers grazed down his torso until they settled around his length. He hissed at the intoxicating sensation, still wrapping his mind around the fact that all this was really happening.
With each stroke, Draco became more and more lost in the sensation of her grip but kept enough control of his senses so she remained equally satisfied in their movements. She writhed under his touch, maintaining one hand coiled in his hair as his fingers continued to bury themselves in her sweet heat.
Her pace around him began to slow, and Draco traced his fingers down her soaken slit one final time as she guided his length towards her entrance. When he sheathed himself inside, Hermione's back arched at the sensation, and Draco basked in the feel of her tight walls clenched around him. He savoured the sound of his name escaping her lips with a desperate cry as he slowly withdrew himself, only to immediately slide back in. With each languid thrust, Draco pushed himself deeper, swallowing Hermione's muffled cries with the unyielding firmness of his lips. All consuming desire pulsed through every bit of his being, and when Hermione's fingernails dug into the muscles of his back at her fervent peak, Draco found bliss in his own climatic release.
Their breathing heavy, Draco crashed onto the mattress, a smirk to his lips as he turned to face Hermione. "What was that you were saying earlier about not being accustomed to letting people in?"
Hermione swatted a hand against his shoulder at the suggestiveness of his remark, but the sparkle in her eyes remained. "It's not too late for me to change my mind!"
Draco wrapped his arms around the welcomed warmth of her bare waist, pulling her so she was flush against him. "I'd like to see you try to avoid me now."
Contented silence fell between them as Hermione rested her head on his chest, drawing in a deep, calming breath as she sunk into him.
"It's nice to not feel alone anymore," she said after several minutes.
Draco settled a kiss in her curls. "You'll never be alone again."
Ending Note: Thanks again for reading! I hope you enjoyed :) I'd love to hear your thoughts or hope that you'll check out some of my other stories. For those of you waiting, my current major WIP, Somewhere Down the Line, will be updating again (hopefully) fairly soon. But until next time... xx